Professional Documents
Culture Documents
House Hearing, 106TH Congress - Challenges To Hemispheric Democracy: Elections, Coups and Instability
House Hearing, 106TH Congress - Challenges To Hemispheric Democracy: Elections, Coups and Instability
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
(
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international relations
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York, Chairman
WILLIAM F. GOODLING, Pennsylvania SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa TOM LANTOS, California
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American
DAN BURTON, Indiana Samoa
ELTON GALLEGLY, California MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
DANA ROHRABACHER, California SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois CYNTHIA A. MCKINNEY, Georgia
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida
PETER T. KING, New York PAT DANNER, Missouri
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama
MARSHALL MARK SANFORD, South BRAD SHERMAN, California
Carolina ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
MATT SALMON, Arizona STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey
AMO HOUGHTON, New York JIM DAVIS, Florida
TOM CAMPBELL, California EARL POMEROY, North Dakota
JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
KEVIN BRADY, Texas GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina BARBARA LEE, California
PAUL E. GILLMOR, Ohio JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania
JOHN COOKSEY, Louisiana
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
RICHARD J. GARON, Chief of Staff
KATHLEEN BERTELSEN MOAZED, Democratic Chief of Staff
(II)
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
CONTENTS
Page
WITNESSES
The Hon. John Conyers, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State
of Michigan ........................................................................................................... 5
Ambassador Lino Gutierrez, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State; accompanied
by Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs ............................................................................................. 10
APPENDIX
The Honorable Elton Gallegly, a Representative in Congress from California
and Chairman, on Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere ....................... 24
The Honorable Benjamin A. Gilman, a Representative in Congress from New
York and Chairman, Committee on International Relations ........................... 25
Mr. Robert Menendez .............................................................................................. 30
Mr. John Conyers, Jr., House International Relations Committee, .................... 32
Ambassador Lino Gutierrez .................................................................................... 35
(III)
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
CHALLENGES TO HEMISPHERIC DEMOCRACY:
ELECTIONS, COUPS AND INSTABILITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WESTERN HEMISPHERE,
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:13 p.m. in room
2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Elton Gallegly (Chair-
man of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. GALLEGLY. We will now go into the hearing. If the witnesses
would please come forward.
The purpose of our hearing today is to examine recent and forth-
coming events in several Latin American and Caribbean nations to
analyze how these events have or could impact democratic gains
and the overall political stability in the region. For more than a
decade, Western Hemisphere political analysts and academic ex-
perts have pointed with optimism to the continued growth and
strengthening of democracy in Latin America and in the Carib-
bean. The focal point of the hemispheres success story thus far has
been the number of free, fair and transparent elections which have
taken place at all levels of government over this period. Up until
recently, most elections in the region have been very successful.
Yet, most know that elections alone do not make a strong democ-
racy. Other elements such as well-organized civil societies, inde-
pendent judiciaries, a free press, active political parties and mili-
taries willing to subordinate themselves to the elected civilian au-
thority, are all required before any nation can truly be defined as
a strong modern democracy.
Today, the glitter of progress is beginning to tarnish in some
parts of the region as electoral processes have broken down, such
as in Haiti and Peru, where new patterns of populist
authoritarianism seem to be emerging, such as in Venezuela and
Peru, and where restless militaries, twice in the past 6 months, in
Ecuador and Paraguay, have staged unsuccessful coups detat. This
is not to say that all parts of the hemisphere are taking steps back-
ward. We hope these may be only one-time temporary setbacks.
But recent events in several countries in the region, coupled with
the inability of economic reforms initiated earlier in the decade to
adequately address pressing social problems, have cast a dark
cloud over the democratization of parts of the region.
Today, the Subcommittee has asked the Department of State to
review these particular issues with us and to assess whether these
events can justify criticism that Latin democracy is in decay. We
(1)
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
2
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
3
servation Mission termed far from free and fair. The OAS Mission
carefully documented a number of key failings, including the gov-
ernments manipulation of key institutions, harassment of opposi-
tion candidates, a lack of balanced access to the media, illegal use
of state resources by the government, and the need for improved
election management.
I have been a strong supporter of our engagement with Peru on
counternarcotics matters. I will continue to support our counter-
narcotics cooperation with Peru. However, we cannot ignore the
fact that Perus increasingly authoritarian and repressive govern-
ment has hollowed out that nations democratic institutions to per-
petuate itself in power.
As a Nation, we must be prepared to respond to that challenge.
If elections in Peru and Haiti are not free and fair, we cannot pre-
tend that they are. We must not allow ourselves to be lulled into
any sense of complacency. Undemocratic elements throughout the
hemisphere are carefully watching our Nations reaction to the ma-
nipulation of those recent elections.
In Mexico, National Democratic Institute for International Af-
fairs election observers have pointed out that, unfortunately, it is
widely believed that the closeness of the election has led to certain
practices, particularly by the ruling party, that are reminiscent of
past elections. We should not ignore that kind of a warning about
a nation as important to us as Mexico, our next-door neighbor.
With a few notable exceptions, the response from our neighbors
in the hemisphere to recent threats to democracy has regrettably
been muted. Brazil, in particular, has not risen to provide sorely
needed leadership in the hemisphere. What we do here and now in
the face of what is happening in the Americas will define how we,
as a hemispheric community, will respond to the continued erosion
of democratic institutions and the other serious security and eco-
nomic crises we that we are facing.
Leaders in countries who not long ago looked to our Nation to
help them recover their own nations democracy need to think hard
about this critical juncture in our history. They should join with
our Nation in defending democracy. By the same token, our own
administration cannot afford to coast until November. The wake-up
call is well upon us. I thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for taking
a hard look at these hemispheric problems.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Gilman appears in the appen-
dix.]
Mr. GALLEGLY. The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Menendez.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Am-
bassador Gutierrez for agreeing to come speak with us on a very
important topic, which is, I believe, very timely: The challenges to
hemispheric democracy. The fact that we have a lot to talk about
today is both discouraging and telling. Of the fact that democracy
is threatened, let there be no doubt. What I hope we can begin to
do is twofold: First, I hope we can stop measuring democracy by
elections alone. We all have said it and heard it before, elections
alone do not a democracy make.
But we continue to measure democratic advance by the number
of free and fair elections held. We should measure instead the re-
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
4
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
5
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
6
Mr. CONYERS. I would also like to make sure that everyone has
a copy of it. Because I am going to merely summarize from this
statement, because when I know that Ambassador Gutierrez is
coming up and has been waiting and we have our good friend Am-
bassador Steinberg here also in the room, I want to be available
for any comments or questions that the Committee may have. I
want to observe in the beginning that I have enjoyed the good rela-
tionships with Chairman Ben Gilman of this Committee on the
subject of Haiti who, when I first began going there, he was al-
ready a frequent visitor to this small, beleaguered, struggling na-
tion, trying to make things work. I believe that he still is.
On May 21st, the Haitian people showed their strong desire for
democracy. It was clear in the early hours of the morning, 5:30
a.m., that dozens of voters were waiting at the first sight we had
been assigned to attend, waiting to cast their ballot at a polling
station that wasnt going to open until 7 a.m. So we were very
pleased about this being the general circumstance across the coun-
try and across certainly the half dozen or more polling sights that
our congressional CODEL and staff had been assigned to visit.
Some of our teams had been assigned to distances so far away
that we didnt see them until we were getting ready to depart. The
afternoon that they left, they finally showed up in a very timely
fashion, I would say. Of course, we would have waited for them.
But the fact of the matter is that people were dispersed to work
with OAS and other delegations, the Caribbean, CARICOM had
people there, the European community had representatives there,
and other countries had independent observers there. So it is my
view that we were literally flooding the country with outside inde-
pendent eyes and ears to help determine whether or not these elec-
tions would and could come off in a manner that would attain a
level of credibility.
With me was Mrs. Corrine Brown of Florida, and Mr. Bill
Delahunt of Massachusetts and a number of our staff. We wit-
nessed dedicated poll workers, we witnessed party observers, we
witnessed the opening and counting of ballots. We visited the provi-
sional electoral counsel which administered the election process a
number of times. Its president, Mr. Manus and our group got to
know each other on a first-name basis. It seemed to me that what
we saw was very refreshing, with the exception of one possibly elec-
tion related death, outside of some pushing and shoving at the poll-
ing stations, there was a very low level of disorderly conduct and
no violence.
We all had met and we were briefed very expertly by our em-
bassy who themselves were working with other organizations, but
most particularly the OAS to make sure that what we all saw and
heard could be compared. There was a tremendous turnout on Elec-
tion Day. It is calculated, as the results have not been concluded,
still somewhere between 50 to 60 percent is the repeated esti-
mation of voter turnout. I think that the registration rates were
cards, registration cards, and with laminated photographs were
issued in color, went up to somewhere about 80 percent. What de-
termined for me was that the getting of the cards for registration
was not just to be the proud possessor of a color ID, which for
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
7
many was their first, but they really, as we saw on Election Day,
really wanted to participate.
It was wonderful to visit some polling places that were crowded,
people were standing in line close together, in the hot sun, and
then in the evening when we came back, there were children play-
ing in this school yard, there were a few elders standing around,
and they were getting ready to count the votes. Everybody had
been taken care of. That was not the case, of course, in all the vot-
ing regions. In Grandanse they just had an election last week that
had, by decree of the CEP, been put off until a later date. Those
elections are still being counted.
So what we have here is I think a very important turning point
in which the election procedures and constitutional issues involved
have been and are still being approached in a very intelligent way.
29,000 candidates, Mr. Chairman, competed for 11,000 local re-
gional and parliamentary offices. So this was a very important
milestone. We now are confronted with the circumstance in which
there was a difficulty about the count which took place after we
left.
We have been receiving reports that the method of calculation,
the one that we would traditionally use, is different from the one
they have customarily used in the preceding elections. We have a
letter that went to the OAS explaining that, that has been trans-
lated for us. We feel that the Haitian National Police deserve a
great deal of credit along with the Election Commission for making
sure that the election itself ran as fairly as it could.
I do appreciate that there have been arrests for gun law viola-
tions and other activities that followed, that occurred to political
leaders, including some members of Famni Lavalos. But we want
to remember that during that period, motorcycle use was pre-
vented, the carrying of gun permits was revoked, and other safety
precautions were enacted merely to make sure that had as a non-
violent, nondisruptive election as possible.
So we are still awaiting the results. We are hopeful that the CEP
will consider the criticisms of the OAS and that they will reach
some harmonious point of conciliation so that they can both move
into a position for the announcement of the results of the election,
and then the passing of judgment on the elections in terms of
whether they have reached a sufficient level of credibility. All that
I can attest to you is that from what we saw on the day before the
election, the day of the election, and the day after the election, we
were very satisfied that both the police, the Electoral Commission,
and most of all, the citizens of Haiti, were very much concerned
about restoring constitutional government to their land.
I would merely conclude by pointing out that your colleague on
the Committee, Don Payne, the Ranking Member of the Sub-
committee on Africa, has been enormously helpful with us in deal-
ing with this subject matter with this almost small bipartisan Haiti
caucus that has been formed in the Congress we wish to be of any
assistance to your Subcommittee and the larger Committee of
which you are a part. Thank you for allowing me to make these re-
marks before Ambassador Gutierrez.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Conyers appears in the appen-
dix.]
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
8
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
9
and they clearly were well monitored by the Haitian National Po-
lice, and there was not any indication of any violence or any duress
whatsoever.
So while there is much to do in Haiti and I dont mean to over-
state the case, it clearly stood in stark contrast to what occurred
earlier in this decade.
Mr. CONYERS. You are certainly correct, it was very moving, that
one particular polling place itself a school and you know we
couldnt help but think that there were many people voting there
who knew exactly what we knew that this had been the site of an
Election Day massacre by the Haitian military. It was now per-
fectly peaceful all-day long; it was crowded, and when we returned,
people were preparing the ballots, the various political parties were
there, the parties had their observers witnesses and each ballot
was opened up, and the numbers called off and the recording of the
balloting went on.
There were spirited challenges from time to time, but it was a
very encouraging process. I think we are taking this first giant
wobbly step forward. I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart,
all the Members of the International Relations Committee for the
concern and cooperation they visited on us as CODEL after
CODEL, including members of the Committee, and others not on
the Committee, were permitted to go back to Haiti to work and
struggle for this common objective.
Mr. DELAHUNT. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I think it would be in-
cumbent on us, and we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge,
that members of our staffs volunteered to come and to accept what
was a dangerous challenge, and I would specifically point out, Ms.
Cynthia Martin from Mr. Conyers staff, and Charisse, from Don
Paynes office, and my own Cliff Stammerman as well as Sean Car-
roll. They were extraordinary in terms of their commitment, they
worked hard, it was 18-hour days, and there was much concern
about their safety, but the end result was a very positive one.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Thank you very much, Bill. The gentleman from
New Jersey, Mr. Payne.
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and I will be
very brief. I am not a Member of the Committee. I appreciate the
opportunity to say a word or two. Primarily I want to compliment
Mr. Conyers on the continued respect that he has in Haiti, and in
other areas, but he is very well respected there. There is always
an out pouring of people to visit with him. Also, I would like to in-
dicate what a great addition to the House Mr. Delahunt is, espe-
cially his interest in Haiti and his going down there several times
with Mr. Conyers. I was on one trip with him. I was unable to get
there the week of the election but I went the previous week, want-
ed to make sure that everything was taken care of everything was
in hand. We didnt want them to run into any kind of trouble.
Mr. DELAHUNT. It was John the Baptist leading the way.
Mr. PAYNE. But I did have a chance to meet with the President
and former President Aristide and the Election Commission and
OAS representatives, and the opposition party people. We did feel
some apprehension about whether all those ballots were going to
get there in time and all those photo IDs were right. As Mr. Con-
yers said, there were, of course, enough errors to go around, but if
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
10
you take a look at the overall election, I think that it was a step
in the right direction, moving toward democracy, any kind of im-
pediment did not necessarily impact the overall outcome, and I
think that is what we looked for.
I also would like to compliment Ambassador Steinberg, who real-
ly kept us very prepared and briefed. Having worked in Angola,
Haiti is easy for him in comparison. But finally, as you know, the
police department for of all of Haiti, 8 million people or more, is
about 4,000 people. The same population of New York City, has 10
times as many policemen. They have 40,000 policemen in New
York City. We saw recently in Central Park, a few people got out
of hand with large numbers of policemen being unable to prevent
this from happening.
When we do look at that, and we hear the criticism of, I think
Mr. Conyers made it clear, this was not the greatest election in the
world, but it was certainly, I think, a very great step in the right
direction. When you look at 4,000 policemen for the entire country
of Haiti, like I said, as opposed to 40,000 in New York alone, I
think when we keep things in its proper perspective, we can be ap-
preciative.
Finally, Mr. Menendez, as you note, was a Ranking Member of
this Committee during the last session, and much of what we see
happening and moving forward at this time certainly did not just
happen over night, and that his shepherdship of the Committee
and what was going on in Haiti during the previous Congress, I
would like to also thank him for the interest that he has shown in
the area.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Thank you, Mr. Payne. Thank you, John, for your
testimony, and we appreciate your being here this afternoon.
Mr. CONYERS. Thank you, sir, very much.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Secretary. We welcome Ambassador Gutier-
rez here this afternoon, and with that, we would welcome your tes-
timony.
STATEMENT OF AMBASSADOR LINO GUTIERREZ, PRINCIPAL
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE BUREAU OF
WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE;
ACCOMPANIED BY RAND BEERS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
AFFAIRS
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, it is a
pleasure to be here. In the interest of time and brevity and to allow
for your questions, I would like to touch briefly upon the seven
areas you asked me to address in my testimony. I have prepared
a comprehensive written statement that I have submitted to the
Subcommittee for its consideration.
Mr. GALLEGLY. It will be made a part of the record of the hearing
in its entirety without objection.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, recent events show
that democracy remains vulnerable in some countries in the hemi-
sphere. It is important to remember, however, that democracy is a
continuing process, not a final achievement. I would argue that de-
spite some setbacks, democracy in the hemisphere continues to
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
11
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
12
On May 21st, the first round of the long overdue local and par-
liamentary elections was held. Voter turnout was high as Haitians
from all walks of life embraced this democratic exercise.
The post election period has been beset with serious problems,
however. The most prominent problem thus far is the possible use
by the Provisional Electoral Council of a methodology that fails to
tabulate all ballot votes cast in the Senate races, as prescribed in
the election law. This alternative methodology would seriously dis-
tort the outcome of those races. The Organization of American
States Electoral Observation Mission has requested a retabulation
of votes fully consistent when the guidelines. We support the OAS
position.
The stakes in Haitis electoral process are high. This process,
which anticipates a runoff election on June 25th, the seating of a
parliament in mid July, and Presidential elections in November is
the means through which democratic and fully responsible govern-
ment can be restored and empowered. The expectations of Haitians
must be validated by a process that is fully credible, free, fair and
transparent from its start on the day of the vote to its end when
the votes are tabulated and the newly elected officials are installed
into office.
Let me turn to Venezuela where a lengthy political transition
continues. The Supreme Tribunal, Venezuelas Supreme Court,
postponed the countrys Presidential legislative, state and munic-
ipal elections scheduled for May 28th. It did so in acknowledgment
of continued serious technical problems in the automated voting
system. It was the right decision.
The Tribunal acted in response to a petition from concerned
NGOs, a positive sign in our opinion. The engagement of civil soci-
ety in highlighting the need for postponement was a sign of mature
democratic process. So was the decision of the Venezuelan authori-
ties to support their request before the Tribunal.
The election officials responsible for the problems have now been
replaced by well-respected, apolitical individuals nominated by a
variety of nongovernmental institutions and vetted by a roundtable
of representatives of civil society. The interim legislature has not
yet set a new date, but July elections are still possible. The U.S.
Government provided financial support for both an OAS election
monitoring mission and a Carter Center mission, which played con-
structive roles during the campaign. We anticipate providing the
same level of support in the upcoming elections as well.
In Mexico, voters will go to the polls on July 2nd to elect a new
President and new Congress. It is not an exaggeration to say that
these elections are a potential watershed in Mexicos democratic
evolution. The campaign has been the most open in Mexicos his-
tory and we expect the vote itself will be too.
There has been public speculation in Mexico and elsewhere about
the possibility of electoral fraud. Frankly, I would be surprised if
there were no allegations of irregularities after the vote. But a vast
and impressive array of safeguards has been created over the past
6 years to prevent systemic fraud and to guarantee the integrity
of the Mexican vote.
We have confidence in Mexicos independent Federal Electoral
Institute, the IFE, which is charged with organizing and managing
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
13
the elections. It has done a great deal already to level the political
playing field and set the stage for free and fair elections.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. [Continuing.] I saw this firsthand during a re-
cent trip to Mexico. Since 1994, in midterm congressional and local
elections the opposition has made unprecedented inroads. Over a
third of all Mexicans live in states run by opposition Governors,
and the PRI no longer has a majority in the Mexican Chamber of
Deputies.
We expect there will be a number of international observers in
Mexico for the election. The Mexican government, the IFE and the
political parties themselves have welcomed this. The U.S. is fund-
ing an electoral observation mission organized by the International
Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, and
various other U.S. NGOs are also sending observers.
Ecuador is another country that faces threats to its democracy.
The situation, however, has improved dramatically since January,
when field-grade Ecuadorian military officers and indigenous lead-
ers attempted to install a new government. As this revolt developed
and both the military and police declined to enforce public order,
the United States, Ecuadors neighbors, and the OAS Permanent
Council immediately issued strong statements rejecting any inter-
ruption in the democratic, constitutional order. Facing the prospect
of political and economic isolation, on January 22nd President
Mahuad urged the country to support Vice President Gustavo
Noboa as his constitutional successor and Congress confirmed
Noboa that day.
Ecuador is not out of the woods, but it is making progress. The
Noboa government has been able to pass through Congress badly
needed economic reforms and to begin the process of implementing
those changes. The Noboa Administration has met with indigenous
communities and sought to initiate social programs targeting the
poor. Military leadership has been changed, removing those who
did not act in support of Ecuadors constitution or its leaders. An
amnesty to those who were involved in the coup has created the
possibility of reconciliation and has helped defuse a potentially ex-
plosive situation while allowing military authorities to impose ad-
ministrative sanctions against participants.
On May 25th, the Noboa Administration announced fiscal re-
forms. Protests have so far been muted. An IMF team is currently
in Ecuador to examine the fiscal implications of these measures, as
well as banking sector developments, and other issues in the con-
text of its first bimonthly review of Ecuadors IMF Standby Pro-
gram.
The next few months will be critical to the success of Ecuadors
economic reforms. President Noboa has been making the right po-
litical and economic moves and recognizes that these strict reforms
are necessary to improve economic conditions and opportunities for
all of Ecuadors citizens.
Turning to Paraguay, where the unsuccessful coup attempt of
last May 18th and 19th demonstrates that Paraguayan democracy
continues to face serious challenges. These include corruption, eco-
nomic stagnation, rural discontent and some anti-democratic ele-
ments among the middle and lower ranks of the military. There are
significant factional divisions within both parties in the governing
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
14
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
15
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
16
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
17
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
18
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
19
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
20
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
21
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
22
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
A P P E N D I X
(23)
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
24
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
25
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
26
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
27
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
28
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
29
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
30
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
31
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
32
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
33
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
34
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
35
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
36
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
37
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
38
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
39
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
40
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
41
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
42
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
43
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
44
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
45
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
46
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
47
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1
48
VerDate 11-MAY-2000 11:05 Aug 04, 2000 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 65849.TXT HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1